The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests
The parasitic relationship between <i>Maculinea</i> butterflies and <i>Myrmica</i> ants has been extensively studied but little information is available on the spatial occurrence of <i>Maculinea</i> larvae. We searched for the presence of <i>Maculinea teleiu...
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/180 |
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| author | Magdalena Witek Valentina La Morgia Luca Pietro Casacci Francesca Barbero |
| author_facet | Magdalena Witek Valentina La Morgia Luca Pietro Casacci Francesca Barbero |
| author_sort | Magdalena Witek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The parasitic relationship between <i>Maculinea</i> butterflies and <i>Myrmica</i> ants has been extensively studied but little information is available on the spatial occurrence of <i>Maculinea</i> larvae. We searched for the presence of <i>Maculinea teleius</i> in 211 ant nests at two sites in two crucial phases of its life cycle, i.e., in autumn, during the initial larval development, and in the following late spring, before pupation. We assessed variations in the proportion of infested nests and factors correlated with spatial distributions of parasites in <i>Myrmica</i> colonies. The parasitism rate in autumn was very high (∼50% of infestation rate) but decreased in the following spring. The most important factor explaining parasite occurrence in both seasons was the nest size. Further factors, such as the presence of other parasites, the <i>Myrmica</i> species or the site, concurred to explain the differential survival of <i>Ma. teleius</i> until the final development. Irrespective of the host nest distribution, the parasite distribution changed from even in autumn to clumped in late spring. Our work showed that the survival of <i>Ma. teleius</i> is correlated with colony features but also with the nest spatial distribution, which therefore should be taken into consideration in conservation strategies aiming at preserving these endangered species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e56cbb647194d67b2fd087c5aa967b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:39:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e56cbb647194d67b2fd087c5aa967b62023-11-16T21:14:56ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-02-0114218010.3390/insects14020180The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant NestsMagdalena Witek0Valentina La Morgia1Luca Pietro Casacci2Francesca Barbero3Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, PolandInstitute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca’ Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, ItalyThe parasitic relationship between <i>Maculinea</i> butterflies and <i>Myrmica</i> ants has been extensively studied but little information is available on the spatial occurrence of <i>Maculinea</i> larvae. We searched for the presence of <i>Maculinea teleius</i> in 211 ant nests at two sites in two crucial phases of its life cycle, i.e., in autumn, during the initial larval development, and in the following late spring, before pupation. We assessed variations in the proportion of infested nests and factors correlated with spatial distributions of parasites in <i>Myrmica</i> colonies. The parasitism rate in autumn was very high (∼50% of infestation rate) but decreased in the following spring. The most important factor explaining parasite occurrence in both seasons was the nest size. Further factors, such as the presence of other parasites, the <i>Myrmica</i> species or the site, concurred to explain the differential survival of <i>Ma. teleius</i> until the final development. Irrespective of the host nest distribution, the parasite distribution changed from even in autumn to clumped in late spring. Our work showed that the survival of <i>Ma. teleius</i> is correlated with colony features but also with the nest spatial distribution, which therefore should be taken into consideration in conservation strategies aiming at preserving these endangered species.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/180ant colony sizehost specificityjoin count statisticsmyrmecophilymultiparasitism<i>Maculinea</i> |
| spellingShingle | Magdalena Witek Valentina La Morgia Luca Pietro Casacci Francesca Barbero The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests Insects ant colony size host specificity join count statistics myrmecophily multiparasitism <i>Maculinea</i> |
| title | The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests |
| title_full | The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests |
| title_fullStr | The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests |
| title_short | The Pattern of Social Parasitism in <i>Maculinea teleius</i> Butterfly Is Driven by the Size and Spatial Distribution of the Host Ant Nests |
| title_sort | pattern of social parasitism in i maculinea teleius i butterfly is driven by the size and spatial distribution of the host ant nests |
| topic | ant colony size host specificity join count statistics myrmecophily multiparasitism <i>Maculinea</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/2/180 |
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